


Strategic Crush

by thinkatory



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/F, Femslash February, Femslash February Trope Bingo, Minor Violence, Quadrant Confusion, femtropebingo, tropey as fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-15 00:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3432062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thinkatory/pseuds/thinkatory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Strategic crush (phrase): 1) Chess term for a win characterised by gradual accumulation of advantages and complete prevention of counterplay; 2) accurate description of this fic's basic plotline.</i>
</p><p>In this Alternian Empire, rainbow drinkers are powerful beings that live in secret. That doesn't mean it's particularly fun or romantic to be one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strategic Crush

**Author's Note:**

> For femtropebingo square: "AU: Supernatural."
> 
> A few things about this AU:  
> \- To get "Kanaya is a vampire" to fit "supernatural elements" I changed Alternia and rainbow drinkers some. Anyone on the hemospectrum can be changed into a rainbow drinker via regular vampiric tropes, and jadebloods are not regularly rainbow drinkers, or there goes my suspense.  
> \- Terezi and Latula are sisters, because that served my fic's purpose.  
> \- Everyone is around 9 sweeps years old, or at least appears that way (for the rainbow drinkers), and attended high school, because it's a more convenient way for everyone to have known each other.
> 
> Look, this shit is tropey as hell and I make no apologies.

When she wakes up from the frenzy, her stash is empty.

She tries to breathe, but panic rises; she’s been doing this for six sweeps, she still can’t handle the hunger even if the blood is dead, she’s horrified and alone and she doesn’t want to keep running forever because she can't control herself long enough to pass.

That’s the last thing she wants to do.

_Calm down. Calm down, everything will be all right._

No. She doubts it.

She crawls into her recuperacoon until the overwhelming satisfaction and self-loathing and warmth and numbness and _everything_ subsides.

\--

Kanaya graduated from high school in this region, which is a relief, because now she can go about her life actively looking nine sweeps of age and a nearly matured troll, and try to grow with the trolls she knows here.

It's a pity it took her fleeing the region and drinking her whole stash to realize the upsides of staying where she is. But now she's back.

She can't jump in and talk to the others, explain where she was, not easily, when everyone is trying to get their preferred work in the fleet and dealing with that amount of stress. So she focuses on having a normal day, like nothing happened, looking for jadeblood jobs at a stimulant shop. Then someone sits across from her and pushes her husktop screen down.

“Maryam,” she says, “we have _got_ to talk. Lots to catch up on!”

She stares dumbly at her. “Vriska?” she asks, like an idiot.

Vriska grins, all sharp and provocative. She tries not to react to that. “Haven’t seen you since graduation. What’s up with that????????”

She can hear the multiple question marks, and feel the flushcrush creeping back up on her. Oh, no. This is bad. “I… am busy?” she more asks than states.

“Are you?” Vriska answers, and leans back in her chair. “You know who I ran into, by the way?”

“Who?” She’s dreading this, but she says nothing.

“Ampora. He asked me about you. I found that reeeeeeeally interesting, did you change your mind about boys?" She doesn't let Kanaya answer. "Seems pitch to me. He's still chasing Peixes, though, how sad is that?"

Kanaya is not sure she's up for a Vriska gossip session. She definitely doesn't want to talk about Ampora. "Jealous?" she asks, all pithy.

Vriska looks utterly delighted at that. "Oh, there it is. I remember you having fun moments."

"It’s been months," she reminds her, uncomfortable for a reason she can't exactly name. "I hope you remember me. I mean. I would expect."

"Blushing," Vriska notes, and leans forward. "Was Tavros right to be a little bit jealous?"

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. "Vriska," Kanaya starts.

"Let me buy you dinner," Vriska says, eyes glinting with interest. "Or are you done with me? On to Ampora?"

"Definitely not Ampora," she says. Then she realizes what she's kind of said. Then she doubles down. "Got a place in mind?" she asks, boldly, flirting, somehow really bad at this. Aren't rainbow drinkers supposed to be suave?

Vriska looks the best kind of surprised. "Yeah," she says, and shoulders her bag. "Close enough to dinner, don't you think? Don't want you running off on me."

"Early dinner then." It occurs to Kanaya only then that she'll have to eat actual troll food, and that this is going to be terrible, but Vriska is standing there and this is the first time Kanaya's noticed Vriska's wearing the dress she made for her, and she wants more than anything to try. "Vriska."

"Yeah?" She turns back, incidentally tossing her hair, and wow does Kanaya not care about the airs Vriska's putting on, because they're working. "Are you coming?"

She stands, puts away her husktop, and smiles briefly. "Lead the way."

\--

Kanaya can’t help but be skeptical, and happy, but skeptical all over again, during the date, because it doesn’t seem likely that Vriska just woke up yesterday deciding that Kanaya was even worth considering as a viable romantic prospect. Even as Vriska’s sharp, sarcastic, bold, fingers twirled in her hair as she eyes her, Kanaya’s wondering if this was a chance meeting after all. Most of all she’s wondering if she cares.

Eating food is terrible. So is the doubt. But both of them are worth it. They’re worth the wry tilt of Vriska’s head, the way Kanaya doesn’t feel alone, or anywhere near it. It’s all worth feeling like a real troll again.

Vriska’s hand creeps onto hers, insinuates its grip around hers, and she exhales slowly.

“I should go,” Vriska drawls. “Irons in the fire. Are we on for, hmm. Tomorrow? I'd say day after but I have plans. You know, busy busy!”

Kanaya looks at their linked hands, then to the challenge in Vriska’s face. “Yes,” she says decisively.

Vriska looks victorious, but Kanaya considers herself the victor today.

\--

There's no point in waiting, now. Trolls will have seen her. Vriska may have spread the word herself.

> GA: Hello
> 
> CG: OH HOLY FUCK.
> 
> CG: ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IS ALIVE.
> 
> CG: THIS IS NEW INFORMATION I FOUND OUT FROM HER AND NOT FROM SEEING HER IN TOWN FLIRTING WITH ONE OF THE WORST TROLLS IN EXISTENCE.
> 
> CG: GREAT NEWS.
> 
> GA: Karkat
> 
> CG: SHUT UP, I’M STILL RAGING
> 
> GA: Yes I See That
> 
> CG: WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU GO?
> 
> GA: It’s Complicated
> 
> CG: SIMPLIFY IT
> 
> CG: BOIL IT DOWN FOR ME
> 
> CG: WHY YOU HID
> 
> CG: YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE SHIT I’VE HAD TO PUT UP WITH SINCE GRADUATION
> 
> CG: AND YOU LEFT ME
> 
> GA: I Was Never Your Moirail
> 
> CG: MY MOIRAIL IS NOW FIRMLY IN DARK CARNIVAL FUCKSTICK LAND
> 
> CG: YOU’D KNOW THAT IF YOU WERE AROUND
> 
> GA: I Needed Some Time
> 
> GA: Can I See You
> 
> CG: OH YOU NEED SOMETHING.
> 
> CG: ROMANTIC ADVICE ON VRISKA?
> 
> CG: DON’T BOTHER, I KNOW I’M RIGHT.
> 
> CG: DIDN’T WE ALREADY SAY “BAD IDEA”?
> 
> CG: OR SHE JUST FLUSHES AT YOU FOR A SECOND AND YOU FORGET SHE’S A TOTAL PSYCHO
> 
> CG: WHO PUT TAVROS IN A WHEELCHAIR
> 
> CG: THEN TURNED HIM INTO HER BOYFRIEND WITH MINDGAMES
> 
> CG: DO YOU WANT TO BE A SERKET MINDSLAVE
> 
> CG: REALLY
> 
> GA: If I May Interject
> 
> CG: BY ALL MEANS!
> 
> CG: ACTUALLY TALK TO ME.
> 
> CG: IT’LL BE AN INTERESTING CHANGE.
> 
> GA: I Want To Tell You
> 
> GA: In Person
> 
> GA: And I Want To Know What’s Gone Wrong Since I Was Gone
> 
> GA: Can I See You
> 
> CG: YEAH FINE
> 
> CG: BUT I’M STILL PISSED AT YOU
> 
> GA: I Assumed Nothing Less
> 
> CG: GOOD
> 
> CG: YOU’RE COMING TO ME?
> 
> GA: Yes
> 
> CG: OKAY
> 
> CG: KANAYA.
> 
> GA: Yes
> 
> CG: SEE YOU LATER.

She takes a deep breath, and presses her face into her hands.

This is not how she wanted this to play out. But she should have told him years ago. It was cruel not to. It was unnecessary, and --

> AG: Hey.
> 
> AG: I know you’re supposed to play it cool and everything and wait for the date????????
> 
> AG: But I just wanted to say something.
> 
> GA: Hmm
> 
> GA: All Right
> 
> AG: Pro8a8ly you think I’m up to something.
> 
> AG: Am I wrong?
> 
> GA: Well
> 
> AG: Yeah, I thought may8e.
> 
> GA: Are You
> 
> AG: Do you think I am?
> 
> GA: I Don’t See Why That’s Relevant
> 
> AG: You went out with me anyway.
> 
> AG: Do you care if I am?
> 
> GA: Of Course I Would
> 
> GA: Are You
> 
> AG: No.
> 
> AG: Do you 8elieve me?
> 
> GA: Does It Matter
> 
> AG: It does to me.

Kanaya just stares at her husktop screen, the cursor blinking.

> GA: I Want To
> 
> AG: Then try.
> 
> AG: I know what everyone thinks about me and Tavros.
> 
> AG: I’ve grown up.
> 
> AG: And you wouldn’t let me do that.
> 
> AG: Would you?
> 
> GA: No
> 
> GA: I Wouldn’t
> 
> AG: You’d 8etter not.
> 
> GA: Try Not To Start Something
> 
> GA: I’ll Finish It
> 
> GA: You Know I Can
> 
> AG: Yeah.
> 
> AG: Ampora said.

A burst of keystrokes go into the textbox when she hits the husktop keyboard. She tries to calm down.

> GA: Tomorrow
> 
> AG: Tomorrow.
> 
> GA: All Right
> 
> AG: Good. ::::)

Something is going on. But Kanaya wants this to be real, and maybe if she puts effort into it it will be, and even if it’s not Vriska knows there’ll be a reckoning. A reckoning of what magnitude, though, Vriska couldn’t imagine.

She's bit into her lip without realizing it. It's bleeding, just a little, and her head hurts. It’s time to dip into her stash again.

\--

Karkat looks at her like he can see right through her, and for a second she wonders if he's figured her out. Then he makes a ridiculous face and storms towards her to give her a quick hug. She stands there, stunned, then paps him gently, and he makes a strained sound of amusement before backing off completely.

"Yeah, so," he says, "hive."

She nods and follows him inside; the place is empty. "What," she starts, startled.

"See, I, I was going to tell you, but then you were gone, and, fuck." He runs his fingers through his hair and tugs in frustration. "I have to leave. Run away. Like a fucking coward. Because, fuck, Kanaya."

She's really starting to wonder. Is it possible... "Um," she says.

"I'm not sure I even care why you left. I just need someone to come with me. I can't do it alone. Gamzee went shithive maggots on all of us, on me, and that's how I knew, because everyone's always known and I, I know you have some weird shit going on, too, but you ran before I could -- "

She paps him again. He's shaking. "I have to show you," he says.

"Karkat," she tries.

He takes a claw and runs it across his palm, barely scratching it, and she nearly flinches at the smell of his blood, and, it's -- "Oh," she says softly. She’d respected his wishes. She hadn’t looked or smelled or anything. She’d held back. _She should have checked._

"They'll ask me to enlist. Then they'll realize what I am," he says, in harsh self-loathing, "then I'm culled to fuck. I should have let Gamzee kill me. He'd have gotten a commendation."

She wants to sympathize, but now his blood is welling to the cut, and she could let go and -- "You should do something about that cut," she says.

Karkat looks down, suspicious. "Did you not notice the horrible mutant thing?"

"I did," Kanaya says. "I also -- " She pulls fabric from her sylladex and rips it easily, taking his hand, somehow managing to resist the urge to rip open all the veins in his wrist. She binds his hand, and he's thankfully sobered. "I had something to tell you, too."

"I'm not mad," he insists. "Just come with me. I -- "

"Karkat, listen." No, that's not right. "Look." She shifts it, in her head, and his face reflects her light.

He stares. "Oh," he says slowly. "Shit."

She nods, holding his gaze. "I don't hurt anyone," she promises, "but there are trolls who will hurt me, and all I can do is run before they know I'm here."

Karkat looks down at her hand grasping his. "You could kill me," he suggests. "I get out of this mess, you get dinner."

"I am not killing you," Kanaya says firmly, and squeezes his hand. "And... we'll leave. Together."

"So, no Vriska," he concludes. "Yeah, this is looking like an all-around good plan. How are we going to fuck it up? A question for the ages."

Vriska. Vriska and the second date. It's all irrelevant. Her flushcrush is irrelevant. "We won't," she says. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," he agrees. "Dusk. I know you can do the sun but fuck no, sorry. Don't leave me again."

He almost tosses that in without her notice. “Absolutely not," Kanaya insists. "Just get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

He still looks panicked. "Yeah," he says, "uh, I'll try. Try not to die, I'll do my best too."

"Karkat. We're fine." There's no point in pressing it; he already knows. "Sleep."

"I can try." He pushes his hair back. "I'll see you."

It's hard to turn her back on him, but she has to. For now.

\--

The problem Kanaya has after this is her closet.

It's not packing it that's the problem. It's the outfit hanging in the front. It's what she picked out for the second date. She's being an idiot. But she loves wearing red, she looks good in red, and she wanted to see Vriska's face, to gauge if she was genuinely flushed back.

 _But you're running,_ she reminds herself. _Vriska is behind you._

She puts on the fucking skirt. Then the top. Then she grabs her husktop.

> GA: You Tended To Be Online Late
> 
> GA: As I Recall
> 
> GA: I Need To See You
> 
> GA: I'll Be At Your Hive Soon
> 
> AG: Wow.
> 
> AG: Yeah.
> 
> AG: Come on over, Maryam.

Kanaya realizes how it sounds, just then. She decides to say nothing more.

> GA: I'll See You Soon

She draws out her lipstick, and applies it deliberately. Then she leaves.

\--

When Vriska opens the door, there's an awkward pause, and her gaze rakes over Kanaya. Someone has to say something. "I," Kanaya starts, but Vriska shakes her head in amused impatience and pulls her in for a kiss.

This is happening. And Kanaya sinks into it like an idiot, desperate, letting the indigo flush of blood through Vriska's neck fuel her fervor despite herself. They stumble into her hive and against a wall, Vriska's hand creeping along Kanaya's side. "I, um," Kanaya mumbles between kisses.

"Yeah?" Vriska asks, all cool and mussed and gorgeous, how a girl should look during a makeout session. "Gonna make me slow down?"

She genuinely doesn't know how to answer that, because she really wants Vriska's hand to go where it clearly is aiming for, but she didn't come here for this. Or maybe this is the way to do it, use her, leave her; it's the least that Vriska has earned. But she says, "I'm leaving again. A job, I got a job."

"Really," Vriska says, and curls her fingers into Kanaya’s hair, around one of her horns, then pulls her so close that Kanaya expects another kiss, but she goes on. “Let me know if you plan on coming back.”

“I,” Kanaya says, then she’s being kissed so brutally that she practically folds underneath it. There’s Vriska’s hand again, and Kanaya pulls her closer by the waist, and -- 

And when Vriska’s clearly desperate to get her shirt off, and her mouth is against Kanaya’s throat like somehow Kanaya needs to be convinced, no, she has to pull away because the flow of Vriska’s blood is too much. She makes excuses and withdraws to another room, a dark room, and breathes. After a few minute, there’s footsteps, and Vriska’s leaning against the threshold of the door. 

“We should get beauty sleep,” Vriska says flippantly. “Necessary thing. For both of us.”

“Sorry I have to cancel,” Kanaya says, and clears her throat. “And. Leave. Here, I mean.”

“Well, things come up,” Vriska says, all reasonable. “Anything to do with the Pyropes?”

She freezes. “What do you mean?” she asks, hopefully managing a tone that’s something around casual.

“I mean, Pyrope and her older sister were looking for you. And I got them to tell me why.” She pauses, and meets Kanaya’s gaze, something like mischief in her eyes. “Does anyone know? Did you bother? Or were you just going to run?”

“I was,” Kanaya starts, but her throat is too tight to really speak. She makes herself breathe. “Some of them know.”

“Were you the whole time?” Vriska tilts her head at her when she nods silently. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice.”

“I did everything I could to hide it.” She can’t look her in the face. “Ampora said the Pyropes were hunters. I didn’t want to believe we had any in the area. Why would we -- we’re -- I mean -- “

“Oh, no. They were going to kill you but they _really_ want to kill Eridan,” Vriska explains, and tries to catch her gaze again. “Hey, look. I’m not gonna turn you in. If I was I would have already.”

“Then what’s the game?” Kanaya tries not to sound bitter, but it’s hard not to be. Secrets, lies, and if it wasn’t for Ampora she wouldn’t have to live with any of this.

She sighs. “Does there have to be a game?”

“You knew and you didn’t say anything. You lied,” Kanaya says, sharply. “And you waited to tell the truth. There’s a game. What is it?”

Vriska looks taken aback. “I want to get you out,” she says. “Take Terezi down a peg. She thinks she’s a born legislacerator just because of her sister.”

“So this is your feud with Terezi?”

“And you!” She looks offended, now. “Maybe I like you! Did you think of that????????”

“Maybe,” Kanaya says, a little coolly. “But that can’t be all.”

“You said you were going to try to trust me,” Vriska presses her.

“That was -- “ She gives up. “It’s not important. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Running?” Vriska says, and tosses her hair. “There’s better ways.”

“Whatever Eridan told you -- or whatever he’s -- I’m not killing anyone,” Kanaya fumbles through, firm if not smooth about it. “Better that I run.”

“He pissed them off,” Vriska says. “And they know you’re his.”

“I am not his,” Kanaya snaps, before she can rein the reaction in.

Vriska’s eyebrows raise. “You’re missing the point.”

“He’s going to kill them, isn’t he?” Her head is starting to hurt. “ _Damn it_. I don’t have the time for this.”

“I’m flattered to have been factored into your schedule,” Vriska says blithely.

Kanaya fires an annoyed look her way, and presses her fingers to her temples. “Where did you see Ampora?”

“In town, but he’s at his hive now, duh. Do you want to go now?”

“‘Want’ doesn’t really come into it.” She hates him, so much. “You don’t have to come with me.”

“I can handle him. You know I can.”

“You really can’t,” Kanaya says. “You think you can, because we were holding back.”

Vriska looks completely intrigued. “The stories are true, then? All the perks?”

“Yeah, perks,” she says, in weary irritation, “they’re completely worth it. I’m going to deal with Eridan, I don’t care if you come with, but do as I say. If I say go, go.”

A satisfied look crosses Vriska’s face, and Kanaya wills herself to remember this whole conversation and everything leading up to it, but there’s something about her wickedness that drives her insane. She should know better.

Karkat would freak out at her for all of this. But he doesn’t know what she’s dealing with, and Vriska’s… apparently determined to be a part of this, for whatever her reason. She’d probably follow Kanaya anyway.

“Let’s go,” she says, then. “Before it’s too bright. I’m leaving within a few hours.”

Vriska doesn’t move. “Are you ready to do what needs to be done?” she asks.

Kanaya stops. “What?”

“If he’s insistent on killing them, and you don’t want him to, then -- are you going to deal with him?”

“I said I’m not killing anyone,” she insists, in razor tones.

“Either you kill him or you let him kill them, or they kill him, and you’re party to that,” Vriska says, infuriatingly logical, or something like it. “You know I’m right.”

“Come with me,” Kanaya says, ignoring that completely.

“Whatever you say,” Vriska says airily, and follows her out of the hive.

\--

Kanaya almost wishes she hadn’t come back, because these last twelve hours have been completely insane and she just wants to be somewhere quiet where she can make clothes and maybe just be a jadeblood without it becoming a big deal that she happens to drink blood.

That last part’s never going to happen, but the first part would be great.

The point is, someone got to Eridan’s hive before they did. They aren’t inside, they’re just right on the edge of the island, obscured by the edge of the ship, but Kanaya can smell them.

“They’re here,” she says to Vriska. Her stomach drops. “And they know we’re here.”

“Then why haven’t they come to us?” Vriska straightens. “We should talk to them. Or, you know, deal with this problem. Unless you have a problem dealing with problems.”

Kanaya eyes Vriska with irritation. “You need to relax,” she says, “and stop suggesting murder as a solution to everything.”

“You’re terrible at this rainbow drinking thing. Well, no,” Vriska allows, “you’re an amazing kisser. Very romance novel -- “

“Shh,” Kanaya hushes her, not entirely because of what she was actually saying, but at least slightly in part. She sighs, pushes her hair past her horns, and stands straight, walking towards them.

She can hear their heartbeats about a hundred feet away, and that’s when Terezi emerges from behind an energy shield. “That’s far enough,” she says, and draws her swordcane. “Kanaya.”

She hates everything about this. “When did you find out?” she asks, her voice admirably not shaking.

Latula emerges, tossing her hair with an inappropriate smile. “We knew. We just wanted to keep an eye on you. But you left, Ampora was planning on turning someone else, so… we had to do something! About you and about him.”

“And I keep telling her you’re not dangerous,” Terezi says patiently. “Are you?”

“Not unless I have to be,” Kanaya answers honestly.

Terezi growls, and it takes a lot of effort for Kanaya not to back off a step, but that’s when she glances back for just an instant and sees Vriska approaching. “Hey, sis,” she greets Terezi.

Latula touches her arm. “She’s not turned yet,” she tells her. “She’s just… here? What are you doing here?”

“Backup,” Vriska says easily. “We were coming here to help you.”

Damn it, Vriska. “I wanted to talk to Eridan.”

“Why?” Latula asks.

“Because he was going to go after you.” Kanaya thinks they’re being particularly ungracious, but hunters do tend to be. “I’m doing you a favor.”

“He’s our kill,” Terezi says firmly. “So back off, Vriska.”

“Please, she hates him, she wants to kill him,” Vriska says. “It’s not about me. I’m just being nice.”

Even Kanaya scoffs, despite herself. She tenses at Vriska’s touch, then relaxes. “Such a thing as trying too hard,” she advises, then looks to the Pyropes. “The point is, he knows we’re out here. Better I talk to him than you face him.”

“He won’t kill either of us,” Latula says. “He’s not old enough to.”

“You might be surprised,” Kanaya says. “Not about his age, but -- anyway. You should go.”

“How do we know you’re not protecting him?”

“He killed me,” she says archly. “I don’t plan on forgiving that, ever. So go. I’ll handle him.”

“Our kill,” Latula echoes Terezi. “We have a contract.”

Kanaya goes tense. “They’re putting contracts out now?”

“Bounties, actually,” Terezi says, her voice not quite as calmly wry as usual. “I wanted to, um, let you go, because otherwise you’re dead, I thought as long as you promise not to turn anyone else, but Latula -- “

“You are what you are,” Latula says, almost cheerfully sober. “Sorry. You’re not on the list, but we can still bring you in.”

“I won’t turn anyone,” Kanaya insists. “I would never.”

“It’s your instinct -- “

“One I’ve never had!”

“Can you keep it down?” Eridan shouts out of his door.

The group falls silent. Kanaya ignores them and storms towards Eridan, feeling Vriska follow her and not doing anything about that. The hunters seem to stay back, for now, and Kanaya feels like she can breathe again, even when she tenses incredibly at being this close to Eridan.

“Kanaya,” he says, eyeing her. “I didn’t think I’d see you again. You left. Make your own nest yet?”

“No,” Kanaya says sharply, and focuses on the point. “Don’t kill the hunters.”

“I have to,” Eridan says, in that horrible supercilious tone, “are you stupid? They have a bounty, they won’t leave me alive. Not you, either.”

Now that’s confusing. “How do you know about the bounty?”

Eridan looks past her. “Hey, Serket.”

“Hey,” Vriska greets him.

Kanaya looks between them. “In the hive,” she orders both of them, and Vriska sidles past her with an appreciative look. Eridan gives them both a suspicious look, but Kanaya says and does nothing, her expression just as stony, and they all go inside.

“Tell me what’s going on,” she directs Eridan once they’re away from a window.

“What? You mean besides the Pyropes? Who I wanted to kill years ago, but you refused, by the way?” Eridan needles her. “Besides that, I don’t know, I keep telling you that we need a larger nest. You think a jadeblood would be able to appreciate that, but no. I’m _gonna_ get to Feferi and don’t you dare laugh,” he warns Vriska, who stifles laughter into a smirk, “and then we’re on our way to annihilating all of the -- “

“Oh, are you kidding me,” Kanaya says acidly, “who cares, no, this isn’t about that.”

“Why did you run away, anyway?” Eridan presses on. “Cuz -- “

“Not that either,” Kanaya says. “You two look shifty.”

“I do not look shifty,” Vriska says, “or at least not shiftier than normal. Remember who you’re looking at, Maryam.”

“Cuz now I’ve had to go looking for someone new, which I wanted anyway because you are so useless,” Eridan says sharply.

Kanaya draws her lipstick, and he goes silent and still. “Don’t test me,” she says.

“You wouldn’t dare,” he says coolly.

“Oh, I really would -- “

“Ha,” Vriska says, quietly enough, but Kanaya catches it. She looks back at her.

“What?”

“I knew you could. Go on. We might as well solve this.”

“You can’t, and you won’t, not me or the Pyropes, we all know it. Go, I’ll deal with them, and I _expect_ you to give me the respect I deserve when I see you next.” Eridan puts his hands on his hips, his cloak spreading, and Kanaya punches him.

“Whoa,” Vriska says, warmly.

Eridan swears loudly, swiftly up and grabbing Kanaya by the shoulders and shoving her up against the wall. “Respect,” he insists, a growl behind it. “I’ll have it.”

“Not from me,” Kanaya says, and shoves him back. “You want those hunters, you go through me.”

“Easily.” Eridan slams his hand against her throat, choking, but she rips through the skin of his wrist with her claws, he flinches, and she tackles him to the ground, her lipstick slipping from her fingertips. She panics, and then it lands, capped, in her reach, rolling towards her.

“You’re weeeeeeeelcome,” Vriska sing-songs.

Kanaya genuinely doesn’t know what to do in that split second, but the hate and the desire to be free and all of it overwhelms her. She shifts and draws the chainsaw out and hacks his head off in an instant.

She blinks. There’s blood in her eyes. She falls back, just slightly, and stumbles to her feet, desperate to get away. Then she backs into a wall and covers her face and pulls away blood on her hands. The wood underneath him is hacked open, splinters there, his head just _there_ and she just killed Eridan she just killed Eridan what’s happening no, no, no.

She knows how Karkat feels, now, she wants to disappear, but she revels in it too, licks her lips for the little blood that’s there, tastes what blood he’s drunk recently there -- she flinches and shakes when someone touches her shoulder, and Vriska pulls her close and kisses her, chastely, then embraces her.

It’s so undignified. But she nearly cries, more out of frustration than anything. Blood is fine. Enjoying it this much is wrong, but it’s what she is.

She realizes, once her face hurts and her hands ache and the reality sets in, that the hunters are still there. Presumably. She goes to the window, stunned, and checks around, seeing nothing.

“They left,” she says dully to Vriska.

“You did the right thing,” Vriska says.

Somehow, that’s cold comfort from her. “This means I really have to go.”

“I know.” She slides her arms around Kanaya’s waist from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder. “One more minute. Then you go.”

There’s more to this. There’s more to Vriska. But she doesn’t care, right now. She has worse things to worry about.

The sun is coming up. 

\--

Kanaya sleeps, against her rainbow drinker instincts, and regrets it when she wakes up with her claws dug into the side of her recuperacoon so tightly she almost has to pry them out. She paces, gets as much as she can into her sylladex, not having unpacked much in the first place, and heads to Karkat’s early. The sun’s just setting, and she can always get to his hive and hang out on her husktop waiting for him to wake up.

That’s not creepy, right? What else does he expect her to do with all this time? She just killed her sire, after all.

She doesn’t want to think about that, even though he completely deserved it.

He’s nowhere near awake when she gets there, so she opens up her husktop and blocks all of the others on Trollian. Then it’s a matter of making a plan of where they’re going to go. The best option they have is to somehow get onto a ship on the fleet and sneak off onto one of the colonies.

Colonies won’t get conquered, after all, and they should be able to get false paperwork more easily than on Alternia. Hopefully.

This plan sucks. They’re kind of doomed.

“Wow you’re here okay,” Karkat says, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “Are you ready to go?”

“You should eat,” Kanaya says, not looking up from her research on ship manifests. (All public, of course; no one’s stupid enough to do what they’re about to do, right?) “I’m trying to figure out where we could go.”

“Uh. The wilderness?” Karkat says. “That’s what I’d figured.”

Well, that would be simpler. “Oh. Yeah. Not the best for me, but…”

“Animal blood?” he guesses.

“I can try but it’ll probably make me sick,” she says, skeptically. “Wrong species. Why would that even work?”

“I don’t know! I’ve never been a rainbow drinker before?” He glances, paranoid, out of the nearest window, and goes stiff. “Kanaya.”

“What?”

“I, uh. Is there a reason why Terezi would be out there? I swear I just saw her stupid dragon hoodie.”

“What do you mean you just -- “ She goes and looks. There it is, hanging on a branch. _A warning._ “Oh. Fuck,” she says, inarticulately.

“What,” Karkat says flatly.

“She’s here to kill me. Um. Well, they both are,” Kanaya says, and ducks back in the hive, away from the window. “I should -- “

“If you say ‘go’ I’ll kill you myself,” Karkat says. “I’ll talk to her. Why would she want to kill you?”

“Because,” she says, and gestures at herself. “Why the hell else?”

“Oh, uh, okay,” he says. “What _happened_ today?”

She pauses. “I killed Eridan.”

Karkat looks at her for a long moment. “What does Ampora have to do with oh you’re kidding me,” he finishes, realizing midway. “Of course. He was always weird about my blood.”

“You were weird about your blood too,” Kanaya reminds him, and adds as casually as she can, “he was my sire. He was going to kill the Pyropes, though, and I -- it was senseless.”

“Killing Ampora sounds pretty fucking sensible to me with all of that shit going on. But I can’t fault you for self-loathing, I’d be a massive hypocrite and I never do that.” Karkat doesn’t seem to know what to do. “Hey, guess what, I’m going to talk to Terezi.”

“Bad idea,” she says. “No, don’t do it.”

“She knows we’re both here! Why not try to talk to them? I know Terezi’s serious about her legislacerator justice thing but -- ”

“They had a contract on Eridan’s life and I killed him first,” Kanaya says rapidly. “They can’t be happy about that. And Latula wants me dead just because I _might_ turn someone and -- we should just figure out a way to get out without them noticing.”

“Not highly fucking likely and you know it,” Karkat says, and takes a deep breath. “Time to go reason with Pyropes. Fun. Exactly what I wanted to do today.”

“Be careful,” she says, because she has no argument against it, no real one, besides _I’m scared_.

He nods, goes, and Kanaya waits. Then after two minutes she can’t bear the waiting. She goes to the lowest floor, then looks outside, and watches them talk. She can’t completely hear the discussion -- Terezi and Karkat seem to be debating back and forth about whether or not a legislacerator has the right to hunt a suspect down without any proof of wrongdoing against the Empire or its laws, a debate she never expected Karkat to be a part of, but it does start to sound flirtatious until Latula cuts in, loudly.

“Focus, Terezi,” she says, and puts her hands on her hips as she turns on Karkat. “It doesn’t matter why we’re here, not to you. Have you seen her?”

Kanaya strains her hearing, then, and can make it all out. “No,” Karkat says, “and my point is that you’d better gather some proof before you start hunting a jadeblood down with weapons drawn, that’s fucked up.”

“You’re being naive,” Terezi says, a little annoyed.

“You’re not a legislacerator! Not yet! So fuck off,” he concludes. “‘Bye!”

“Dammit, Karkat,” Terezi snaps, then. “This is important.”

“Nope,” Karkat says, and turns his back.

Latula draws her sword and Kanaya holds back the strong urge in that instant to go and attack her, especially when the blade touches Karkat’s back. “Don’t move.”

“Oh, holy fuck, you had better be joking,” Karkat says, not moving.

“Your friend Maryam has committed crimes against the Empire and means to commit worse ones, whether you want to believe it. So tell us where she is.”

“No,” Karkat says firmly, and Kanaya could kill him. _Self-sacrifice? Now? Really?_ They have a plan, and he’s going to do suicide by legislacerator, ruin it, and traumatize her while he’s at it?

“Latula,” Terezi tries, but her sword doesn’t move. “He doesn’t know.”

“He didn’t say that, he says he doesn’t have to. Those are two different things.” Latula drags the tip of her sword lightly along his back, side, to his front. “So say it. ‘I don’t know where she is.’”

“I don’t know where she is,” Karkat says. “Try her hive. Did that occur to you?”

Something happens, something subtle, something Kanaya can’t see, but Terezi shouts, “Latula, no!”, her sword draws back and starts to plunge forward, then there’s a bright blue glow and a rush of black and blue, and teal blood all over the ground.

“No,” Terezi screams, and goes after Vriska, who stands up, her full Mindfang gear practically soaked in Latula’s blood -- a perfect roll, Kanaya notes numbly. She moves, finally, rushes out at full rainbow drinker speed to haul Karkat away, and Terezi is still screaming, attacking Vriska in a fury, Karkat bleeding and panicking and covering it.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” she promises him.

“No,” he insists. “It’s not. VRISKA, YOU KILL HER, I KILL YOU.”

“Oh, shut up, Karkat!!!!!!!”

Vriska knocks out Terezi with a blow of her sword to the side of the head, as Kanaya gets Karkat to his feet. There’s silence between the three of them.

“WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT,” Kanaya finds herself shouting, but can’t argue with her instinct there.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Vriska says. “Why are you so… _restrained_? This is what we are. As trolls. Not even rainbow drinkers. Come _on_.”

“Karkat let’s go,” Kanaya says in a rush, fury and the bloodlust from Latula’s blood everywhere fueling her and not even making her question. This is what she needed, this is the amount of blood and stupidity she needed to get her out of all this. “Vriska, don’t follow me, don’t even get close.”

“Terezi’s going to kill me,” Vriska says, and eyes them with practiced ease. “I killed a legislacerator to save you. Don’t you owe me something?”

“I never asked you to kill her! She didn’t have to be killed! She wasn’t going to -- “

“She was,” Karkat cuts in. “She was going to kill me.”

“No she wasn’t!”

“She was going to try, at least, make me bleed and -- “

“Fine,” Kanaya says furiously. “She wasn’t going to let me go and there was no way out, but -- FINE, Vriska, what do you want?”

“You know what I want.”

There’s a moment when she seriously considers pinning Vriska to the ground and strangling her until she at least gets an apologetic look on her straining face, but she reins that back and looks at her. “You want to go with us.”

“Just say it. I want to be like you. And you, Vantas the mutant,” Vriska says to him -- Kanaya bristles as Karkat goes deathly still -- “it wouldn’t be the worst idea for you either. You’ll need to defend yourself if you don’t want to get culled.”

“Look at you and your brilliant plans as ever,” Kanaya says harshly. “Fine. _Fine_.”

“You said,” Karkat starts, hesitant.

“I need to keep you safe. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. She -- she -- “ Kanaya can’t even say her name. “Come with me,” she finishes, to Vriska.

Vriska is looking at her all flushed to hell, except it’s all an act, isn’t it, or is it, and she’s so confused she can’t pin it down, not anymore. She feels herself shifting red to black to red, pointlessly, why is she so terrible at this, at everything, _why_ ; she jerks her head towards the hive and wastes no time.

She seizes Vriska by the horn and pushes her against the wall, bares her neck and swipes her hair away from her neck impatiently. Vriska’s breath rushes, and she sinks her fangs into her neck.

The sound Vriska makes is obscene. Kanaya’s giving her everything she ever wanted. But some part of her wants to. It’s not just her blood, the taste of live blood she hasn’t had in years, it’s not the power rush from just feeling a troll weaken against her, it’s _Vriska_ intoxicating her.

She goes limp. Kanaya leaves her there, and looks to Karkat. “Get the four-wheeled device,” she says, “Vriska’s going to need to lay down.”

Karkat is completely bereft. Kanaya can’t blame him. “I…”

“I can’t deal with both of you out. You have time to think about it. Get the four-wheeled device.” Kanaya turns away to get Vriska, numb, overwhelmed in the best or worst -- or both -- way.

There was only one way out of the situation she was in. Now there’s only one way ahead.


End file.
